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GRAND BAYOU, La. (WVUE) – For centuries, the people of Grand Bayou—a remote, boat-accessible village west of the Mississippi River—have called the disappearing coastline of Plaquemines Parish home.

“We celebrate that we’re still water people,” said Rosina Philippe, a member of the indigenous tribe known as the Atakapa Ishak Chawasha.

One hundred years ago, Philippe estimates two thousand people lived in their village and the surrounding marsh. Today, 14 families remain in a community mostly accessible by boat.

“I think it’s sense of belonging. This is home,” Philippe said. “This home to my ancestors and that we’re still here.”

COAST IN CRISIS

• Coastal project aims to save the iconic Tchefuncte River lighthouse
• The Mississippi River seems to be giving Louisiana a free coastal project
• 3D-printed artificial reef replaces old oil platform off Grand Isle
• A Ticking Clock: Louisiana’s primary source of coastal funding runs dry in coming years

Decades of coastal erosion and …